31 “I made a covenant with my eyesi

not to look lustfully at a young woman.j

2 For what is our lotk from God above,

our heritage from the Almighty on high?l

3 Is it not ruinm for the wicked,

disastern for those who do wrong?o

4 Does he not see my waysp

and count my every step?q

5 “If I have walked with falsehood

or my foot has hurried after deceitr—

6 let God weigh mes in honest scalest

and he will know that I am blamelessu—

7 if my steps have turned from the path,v

if my heart has been led by my eyes,

or if my handsw have been defiled,x

8 then may others eat what I have sown,y

and may my crops be uprooted.z

9 “If my heart has been enticeda by a woman,b

or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

10 then may my wife grindc another man’s grain,

and may other men sleep with her.d

11 For that would have been wicked,e

a sin to be judged.f

12 It is a fireg that burns to Destructiona;h

it would have uprooted my harvest.i

13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,j

whether male or female,

when they had a grievance against me,k

14 what will I do when God confronts me?l

What will I answer when called to account?m

15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?n

Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?o

16 “If I have denied the desires of the poorp

or let the eyes of the widowq grow weary,r

17 if I have kept my bread to myself,

not sharing it with the fatherlesss—

18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,

and from my birth I guided the widowt—

19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,u

or the needyv without garments,

20 and their hearts did not bless mew

for warming them with the fleecex from my sheep,

21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,y

knowing that I had influence in court,z

22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,

let it be broken off at the joint.a

23 For I dreaded destruction from God,b

and for fear of his splendorc I could not do such things.d

24 “If I have put my trust in golde

or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’f

25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,g

the fortune my hands had gained,h

26 if I have regarded the suni in its radiance

or the moonj moving in splendor,

27 so that my heart was secretly enticedk

and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,l

28 then these also would be sins to be judged,m

for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.n

29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortuneo

or gloated over the trouble that came to himp—

30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin

by invoking a curse against their lifeq—

31 if those of my household have never said,

‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’r—

32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,

for my door was always open to the travelers—

33 if I have concealedt my sin as people do,b

by hidingu my guilt in my heart

34 because I so feared the crowdv

and so dreaded the contempt of the clans

that I kept silentw and would not go outside—

35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!x

I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;

let my accusery put his indictment in writing.

36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,z

I would put it on like a crown.a

37 I would give him an account of my every step;b

I would present it to him as to a ruler.c)—

38 “if my land cries out against med

and all its furrows are wete with tears,

39 if I have devoured its yield without paymentf

or broken the spirit of its tenants,g

40 then let briersh come up instead of wheat

and stinkweedi instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.j

Elihu

32 So these three men stopped answering Job,k because he was righteous in his own eyes.l 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,m of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himselfn rather than God.o 3 He was also angry with the three friends,p because they had found no way to refute Job,q and yet had condemned him.a r 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.s 5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

“I am young in years,

and you are old;t

that is why I was fearful,

not daring to tell you what I know.

7 I thought, ‘Age should speak;

advanced years should teach wisdom.’u

8 But it is the spiritb v in a person,

the breath of the Almighty,w that gives them understanding.x

9 It is not only the oldc who are wise,y

not only the agedz who understand what is right.a

10 “Therefore I say: Listen to me;b

I too will tell you what I know.c

11 I waited while you spoke,

I listened to your reasoning;

while you were searching for words,

12 I gave you my full attention.

But not one of you has proved Job wrong;

none of you has answered his arguments.d

13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;e

let God, not a man, refutef him.’

14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,g

and I will not answer him with your arguments.

15 “They are dismayed and have no more to say;

words have failed them.h

16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,

now that they stand there with no reply?

17 I too will have my say;

I too will tell what I know.i

18 For I am full of words,

and the spiritj within me compels me;k

19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,

like new wineskins ready to burst.l

20 I must speak and find relief;

I must open my lips and reply.m

21 I will show no partiality,n

nor will I flatter anyone;o

22 for if I were skilled in flattery,

my Makerp would soon take me away.q